Fuchun Resort ~ A Secret Place to Rest the Old Dreams of Jiangnan!
A good hotel is the destination of the journey.
Coincidentally, it was a foggy day. After exiting the tunnel, a hill covered in mist leisurely came into view. At that moment, I was so sure that this was the mountain depicted in Huang Gongwang's painting. In fact, most of the mountains in this area are hills, so the vegetation coverage is very high. Along the way, the layers of mountains stretch endlessly, exuding a sense of elegance and tranquility, truly capturing the essence of the hills in the painting 'Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains.'
The winding path leads to a secluded place, arriving at Fuchun Resort, truly evoking the charm of 'leisurely seeing the southern mountains.'
As the pioneering work of the concept of modern Chinese, the design team of Fuchun Resort spared no effort to create a secret place to rest the old dreams of Jiangnan within the modern order.
The design from 20 years ago has truly stood the test of time, with the patina of twenty springs and autumns. We can still see the ambitious Aman designer Gathy's effort to craft a garden landscape that, though man-made, seems naturally formed in his Chinese debut.
II. Staying in the Mountain Rooms | In Room
The layout of the rooms uses wooden lattice screens to divide the living room and bedroom, grand and transparent. On the wall facing the lake, wooden blinds frame the green lake outside. In Chinese design, windows are never just simple objects. Like floral arrangements, they bring the space to life, breaking the indoor confinement and dullness. The interplay of reality and illusion adds a sense of breathing to the environment, like a picture frame capturing the scenery, blending natural light and artificial space, giving a sense of subtlety. Sitting indoors, looking at the scenery outside, there is a sense of 'sitting alone in a secluded bamboo grove' with a wabi-sabi aesthetic.
III. Dining
Breakfast has changed from last year's à la carte to a full buffet, standard and typical of a five-star hotel, with nothing particularly memorable.
Da Chi Xiao Guan has good flavors, mainly featuring Huaiyang cuisine. The eel in oil and loofah pot are both very good.
IV. Facilities
The wave-free pool at Fuchun Resort has always been a classic. The designer first used the exposed mortise and tenon wooden structure in the pool, paying homage to the philosophy of traditional Chinese wooden architecture's flexibility overcoming rigidity, inspiring many successors. Unfortunately, it is currently under renovation, but during this period, you can swim in the four-bedroom villa pool on the mountain. The hotel will send a car to take guests there, and the service is still very good.
V. Conclusion
Despite some outdated room facilities, a small gym, a lack of gourmet food, and the corridors of the rooms being somewhat dark and eerie, I still highly recommend Fuchun Resort. The reason I like this hotel so much is, of course, personal. Maybe it's because I like the painting 'Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains,' or maybe it's because I like the mountains and waters of Hangzhou. Every time I come, I feel very happy, feeling that everything is easy and comfortable in such a space, allowing me to converse with myself. This might be the reason why I like staying in hotels.